Results of a ground-based optical monitoring campaign on NGC 5548 in June 1998 are presented. The broad-band fluxes (U, B, V), and the spectrophotometric optical continuum flux F_{lambda}_ (5100{AA}) monotonically decreased in flux while the broad-band R and I fluxes and the integrated emission-line fluxes of H{alpha} and H{beta} remained constant to within 5%. On June 22, a short continuum flare was detected in the broad band fluxes. It had an amplitude of about ~18% and it lasted only =~90 min. The broad band fluxes and the optical continuum F_{lambda}_ (5100{AA}) appear to vary simultaneously with the EUV variations. No reliable delay was detected for the broad optical emission lines in response to the EUVE variations. Narrow H{beta} emission features predicted as a signature of an accretion disk were not detected during this campaign. However, there is marginal evidence for a faint feature at {lambda}=~4962{AA} with FWHM=~6{AA} redshifted by {Delta}v=~1100km/s with respect to H{beta}_narrow_.